Gift guide
Anniversary gifts by year, from the first to the sixtieth
The traditional and modern gift for every anniversary year from one to twenty five, then thirty, forty, fifty and sixty, with an honest jewelry idea for the years that were never meant to be jewelry at all.
Two lists have circulated for over a century: a traditional list that grew out of custom rather than any single authority, and a modern list assembled by American retailers in the twentieth century to fill in the gaps and give every year something to sell. Neither is official, and they do not always agree with each other, so we give you both rather than picking one and pretending it is settled.
A genuine problem with the traditional list is that several years, mostly in the mid teens and early twenties, simply have no widely cited entry at all. Rather than invent one, we say so plainly for those years and suggest choosing by gemstone, era or how the piece will be worn instead of forcing a theme that does not exist.
For the years where the traditional material is not a gemstone at all, such as paper, cotton or wood, we have written an honest jewelry interpretation rather than a literal one. A first anniversary locket sized for a folded note is a fair reading of a paper anniversary. A rose gold piece is a fair reading of a copper one, because the color family is genuinely close. None of these are official substitutes, they are simply the closest sensible match in a jewelry case.
Milestone years are where budgets tend to shift. Early years such as the first, fifth or tenth are well matched to everyday vintage fine jewelry from about $250 to $2,500. Bigger milestones, particularly the twenty fifth, fortieth, fiftieth and sixtieth, are the years most couples choose to spend into the fine and rare tier, from $2,500 up into the tens of thousands, for a piece meant to be worn for the rest of the marriage.
Whichever year you are shopping for, book a private video viewing before you commit. Anniversary gifts tend to carry more weight than an average gift, and seeing the actual piece turned in daylight by a specialist, hallmark and all, is worth the ten minutes it takes.
Anniversary gifts year by year
Traditional and modern lists vary by source; the modern column follows the widely cited US list. Where the traditional material is not jewelry, the last column gives an honest jewelry reading of it rather than pretending the two are the same thing.
| Year | Traditional | Modern | In jewelry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper | Clock | Paper is not jewelry, so the honest translation is a small gold locket sized to hold a folded note or a tiny photograph, which is the closest a piece of jewelry gets to a paper keepsake. |
| 2 | Cotton | China | Cotton has no jewelry equivalent, so we point people toward soft white materials instead: a strand of pearls or a piece with milky moonstone, which read as gentle and quiet the way cotton does. |
| 3 | Leather | Crystal or glass | For leather, a men's signet ring or a heavy curb bracelet in worn antique gold carries the same rugged, everyday character. For crystal, rock crystal jewelry or faceted paste from the Georgian and Victorian periods is the honest match. |
| 4 | Fruit or flowers | Appliances | Flowers translate directly into jewelry: Victorian and Art Nouveau pieces used carved and enamelled floral motifs constantly, so a flower brooch or pendant is a genuine match rather than a stretch. |
| 5 | Wood | Silverware | Wood has no direct antique jewelry equivalent, so we suggest warm, deeply colored gold, which shares wood's warmth, or a piece in the same rich brown tones as tiger's eye or smoky quartz. |
| 6 | Iron or sugar | Wood | Neither iron nor sugar is a gift material today. The closest honest reading is antique steel-cut jewelry, a genuine Georgian and Victorian technique that used faceted steel in place of gemstones. |
| 7 | Wool or copper | Desk sets | Copper is close to rose gold in color, so a rose gold Retro piece is the natural jewelry stand-in, warm and metallic in the same family as copper without pretending to be the same metal. |
| 8 | Bronze or pottery | Linens or lace | Bronze sits between yellow and rose gold in tone, so we suggest a warm-toned antique gold piece. For lace, Edwardian platinum filigree is the genuine jewelry equivalent, pierced and worked as fine as lace itself. |
| 9 | Pottery or willow | Leather goods | There is no honest jewelry stand-in for pottery, so this year is better answered by material rather than metaphor: an earthy stone such as garnet or coral in a Victorian setting keeps the same handmade, organic feeling. |
| 10 | Tin or aluminum | Diamond | The tenth year is the first where the modern list gives you an actual gemstone. Diamond jewelry, and in particular an antique cut diamond ring or pendant, is a direct and honest match here. |
| 11 | Steel | Fashion jewelry | Steel has a real antique jewelry parallel in cut steel work, the same faceted steel technique used for the sixth year, so a piece in that category is historically accurate rather than an approximation. |
| 12 | Silk or linen | Pearl | Both lists point the same direction. Pearls are literally strung on silk in traditional stringing, so pearl jewelry answers the traditional and the modern list at once. |
| 13 | Lace | Textiles or furs | As with the eighth year, Edwardian platinum filigree is the genuine jewelry reading of lace, pierced galleries and millegrain edging that were designed to look woven rather than cast. |
| 14 | Ivory | Gold jewelry | We do not sell ivory, and the modern list conveniently replaces it with gold jewelry outright, so this is one of the more straightforward years to shop for honestly. |
| 15 | Crystal | Watches | Rock crystal jewelry, and antique faceted paste and glass work from the Georgian and Victorian periods, is the direct jewelry answer to crystal. A vintage watch answers the modern list. |
| 16 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Silver hollowware | With no settled traditional gift for this year, we suggest simply choosing by gemstone or era rather than forcing a theme, and antique silver jewelry if you want to echo the modern silver theme. |
| 17 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Furniture | As with the sixteenth year, there is no settled traditional stone or material, so this is a good year to buy by what she actually wears rather than by theme. |
| 18 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Porcelain | With no fixed traditional list entry, antique porcelain and enamel work, such as a Victorian enamelled locket, is the closest jewelry echo of the modern porcelain theme. |
| 19 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Bronze | For the same reason as the sixteenth to eighteenth years, we suggest choosing on gemstone and wearability. A warm bronze-toned antique gold piece nods to the modern theme without overreaching. |
| 20 | China | Platinum | China has a genuine jewelry parallel in fine porcelain and enamel work, while the modern list gives you platinum outright, so an Edwardian or Art Deco platinum piece answers both readings. |
| 21 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Brass or nickel | This is another year without a settled traditional stone, so we suggest shopping by favorite era or gemstone rather than by theme. |
| 22 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Copper | As with copper at year seven, rose gold is the honest jewelry stand-in for the modern copper theme, warm in tone without claiming to be the metal itself. |
| 23 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Silver plate | With no fixed traditional gift, antique silver jewelry is a reasonable and honest nod to the modern silver theme for this year. |
| 24 | No traditional gift is widely listed | Musical instruments | There is no jewelry material tied to this year on either list, so we suggest choosing simply on what she will wear most, which is always the safer answer than forcing a theme. |
| 25 | Silver | Silver jubilee | Both lists agree here. Antique silver jewelry, or platinum if you want more durability for daily wear, is the direct and traditional answer for a twenty fifth anniversary. |
| 30 | Pearl | Diamond | Pearl jewelry is the traditional gift outright, and a diamond piece answers the modern list, so this year gives you two genuine, un-stretched jewelry options. |
| 40 | Ruby | Ruby | Both lists agree on ruby for the fortieth year. In Retro pieces synthetic ruby was used openly, and our gemologist identifies natural against synthetic before anything is listed. |
| 50 | Gold | Gold | Gold, on both lists, without translation needed. A piece of solid antique gold that has already worn well for decades is a fitting way to mark fifty years. |
| 60 | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond is the traditional stone for both the sixtieth anniversary and, on some lists, the tenth, which makes an antique cut diamond piece the clearest and most direct gift on this entire list. |
The edit
Early years, everyday gold
Lockets, chains and modest gemstone pieces suited to the first, fifth and tenth anniversaries.
About $250 to $2,500
Nothing matching this is available right now. Every piece is a single example and sells once, so this changes weekly. Browse everything in stock or ask our buyers to look for it.
The edit
Pearl, for thirty years
Natural and cultured pearls, restrung on silk before they leave us.
About $250 to $2,500, fine strands higher
Nothing matching this is available right now. Every piece is a single example and sells once, so this changes weekly. Browse everything in stock or ask our buyers to look for it.
The edit
Ruby, for forty years
Natural and, in Retro pieces, openly used synthetic rubies, identified before listing.
About $250 to $2,500, fine stones higher
Nothing matching this is available right now. Every piece is a single example and sells once, so this changes weekly. Browse everything in stock or ask our buyers to look for it.
The edit
Gold and diamond, for the milestones
Solid antique gold for fifty years, antique cut diamonds for sixty.
$2,500 to $50,000 and above
Nothing matching this is available right now. Every piece is a single example and sells once, so this changes weekly. Browse everything in stock or ask our buyers to look for it.
Questions people ask before gifting
What is the traditional gift for a 1st anniversary?
Paper. Since paper is not jewelry, we suggest a small gold locket sized to hold a folded note, which is the closest honest jewelry reading of a paper anniversary.
What is the gift for a 25th anniversary?
Silver, on both the traditional and the modern list. Antique silver jewelry is the direct answer, and platinum is a durable alternative if you want something that wears better every day.
What about the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd or 24th anniversary?
These years do not have a widely agreed traditional gift on the lists we could verify. Rather than invent one, we suggest choosing by favorite gemstone, era or how the piece will actually be worn.
Is the 60th anniversary diamond or the 10th?
Diamond is the traditional stone for the sixtieth anniversary, and some lists also use diamond for the tenth, which is why you will see diamond mentioned for both. Either reading supports an antique cut diamond piece as an honest gift.
Are these anniversary lists official?
No. The traditional list grew out of custom over time and the modern list was assembled later by American retailers, and the two do not always agree. Treat both as guidance rather than rule.
Before you buy
See the piece in daylight on a private video call before you commit. A specialist holds it, turns it, and answers honestly about condition and fit.
How video viewings work